Money To Add Teachers May Multiply Problems

Educators here are grateful that Congress has committed $52 million to hire up to 1,450 primary-school teachers in Florida next summer.

But for many schools, the problem isn't finding money to hire teachers.

It's finding qualified teachers, as well as space for more classrooms. Also, there is no guarantee that the federal government will pay for more than one year of salaries.

Congress on Thursday approved spending $1.1 billion next year to hire 30,000 teachers nationwide. It's the first part of a five-year plan by President Clinton to hire 100,000 teachers to reduce class size in the first through third grades.

It's not clear how much each school district will get, though Congress has mandated that states will distribute 80 percent of the money based on school districts' poverty levels.

Schools with more students getting free or reduced-price lunches will qualify for more money.

The other 20 percent of the federal money will be distributed according to enrollment.

A companion to President Clinton's teacher initiative - to have Congress spend federal money to build and renovate schools nationwide - failed to make it into the final budget bill Congress passed Thursday.

School districts that rely heavily on portable classrooms will be hard-pressed to find space for new teachers, some Central Florida educators said Friday.

``Lowering class sizes is one of the most important things we can do,'' said Nancy Wheeler, executive director of the Seminole County teachers union.

``But when you look at a district like Seminole County, we don't have classrooms for them. The reality is, where can we put these people?''

According to the most recent enrollment figures, 23 of Seminole's 34 elementary schools have more students than they were built to hold.

For a while this year, the school district considered capping enrollment at one school because it is so crowded - an unprecedented notion in the county.

In Orange County, 74 of 96 elementary schools have more students than they were built to hold.

Space isn't the only problem.

A nationwide teacher shortage means schools are struggling to fill vacancies as it is. They are relying heavily on substitute teachers and awarding teachers emergency credentials.

The shortage is most critical in special education, math and science. But schools are pulling teachers out of the elementary-school ranks to meet those needs, so vacancies exist everywhere, said Peter Gorman, an area superintendent with the Orange County school district.

Still, school officials are not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

``I'm not turning down freebies,'' Gorman said.

Brewser Brown, spokesman for Education Commissioner Frank Brogan, said a statewide school construction program, backed by lottery dollars, will help provide some space for the new teachers. But districts may have trouble finding room initially, he said.

Brown downplayed the overall impact of the new teachers in a state with 130,000 teachers. ``We're talking 1 percent more teachers. I don't think that will be a dramatic program,'' he said. ``It takes a lot of resources to bring down class sizes.''

Clinton's goal is to have one teacher for every 18 students in grades 1 through 3.

Florida has a state law aimed at having one teacher for every 20 students, but the average in grades 1 through 3 is closer to one teacher per 24 students.

All of the $52 million coming to Florida, however, may not be spent to hire teachers.

The budget bill passed Thursday would allow local school officials to use as much as 15 percent of the money for teacher training. An additional 3 percent can be spent on administrative costs.

Educators said they liked having that discretion. But they are nervous that the federal-money commitment may be only for the short haul.

While Congress expressed a commitment to Clinton's long-term plan, Thursday's vote allocated money only for one year of the new teachers' salaries.

Clinton will propose that Congress spend even more money next year to add more teachers, said Julie Green, U.S. Department of Education spokeswoman. But there is no guarantee future Congresses will approve the money.